Randy's Rookies: Neena Sinnathuria, triple jump

It's been a part of the Olympics for a very long time, but it may be one of the more difficult track and field events, at least for some.

Triple jumping is no problem for champion Neena Sinnathuria, though.

“The first time I met her in 2009, I saw in that moment that she can be one of the best athletes,” said Bogdan Tarus, the teenager’s coach.

For Neena and her coach, it was just the beginning.

“I didn't really plan on doing triple jump, but one day I guess Bogdan felt that I had talent in triple jump and I started to doing it and I started liking it,” said Neena.

Every year since, Neena has just gotten better and better.

This year she broke her own provincial record, winning bronze at the Royal Canadian Legion Championships when she set a new mark of 11.28 metres, one which would put her on top of the world for her age group.

“Slowly, slowly, step by step, we started to develop the skills,” said Bogdan. “To understand what it means, high performance.”

Along the way, their friendship has grown, and she has learned more than just how to run and jump from the former Romanian Olympian.

Bogdan shared with Neena John Lennon's belief that happiness is the key to life.

“When he went to school, they asked him to write down what he wanted to be when he grew up, so he wrote down ‘happy,’ and they said, ‘I don't think you understand the assignment.’ He said, ‘I don't think you understand life,’” said Bogdan.

Neena says it's a privilege to work with Bogdan, who feels she was born with this talent.